QLFC Book
by KisaItas
Summary: Oneshots for the QLFC.
1. Madness

Title: Madness

-.-.-

A/N: Prompt: Anger, forbidden: anger,

-.-.-

The air seemed to get significantly warmer, rain poured down at an almost boiling temperature and the wind seemed to be nonexistent, as if the air itself was afraid to move out of fear. The ground was cracking, and emerald green eyes shook with rage, Harry's face was scrunched up with such wrath, such fury as he glared back at those scarlet eyes responsible for the whole mess.

Voldemort had succeeded long ago. He had won the war. Out of spite and nothing more, he left Harry alive, powerless and with no magic – it was restricted by a charm that Voldemort held himself. Underground, muggleborns were imprisoned and their magic drained from them. Overground, muggles were treated as the lowest of the low beings, used often as test subjects for magical purposes or as food for acromantulas and dementors and the like. Every child, every person, every thing that died was another candle in Harry's heart, until there was no more room and the wax melted, leaving nothing but burning flames that could not be quenched.

Fifteen years of this, and Harry was forced to stand by and watch. He was powerless, weak, and the rage had risen inside him every day as he watched Voldemort's reign of terror, his descent to further madness.

Even the death eaters had begun to steer clear of Voldemort with his most recent ideas. Somehow Voldemort had gotten it into his head to fight death itself, one on one. Voldemort began to try to open the gates of hell – to bring back the fiery demons that lay beneath.

Harry clenched his fists, fire burning behind his eyes, having risen from his heart, his heart that connected every being that was horrified by Voldemort's victory.

It was the demons that did it ultimately. One in particular that got out had destroyed an entire continent already. Voldemort didn't even flinch. He tried to control it, his powerful magic fighting the demon's darkest magic. It didn't work. The demon simply took it in and it seemed all was lost – Voldemort needed all of his power and he _forgot_ all about Harry. In that moment, Voldemort's spell broke and Harry regained his strength and took advantage of the magic that returned to him, the magic that was long lost.

His scar hurt.

He ignored it. He had felt too much _pain_ , too much _suffering_ to even feel pain anymore. No, all he felt was _fury_. And if the world was doomed to die by the demon, Harry wanted just one thing first, one thing he _knew_ he could have.

Revenge.

It seemed that desire, that desire fueled by thousands of candles that created that unquenchable fire inside of him, brought about a strength he didn't know he had, he felt it in the very air around him.

It didn't take long after that. The demon sensed this strength, and it sensed the direction of the powerful emotion, but most importantly it noted the source. And for some odd reason, it responded.

Harry could feel the demon's magic merging with his own, whispering into his ear.

 _Do you want revenge? Do you want the power to win? Do you want me to give you_ strength, _give you_ power _?_

"YES." Harry screamed at the top of his lungs, surprising everyone around him, the death eaters, but most of all Voldemort who couldn't understand. Voldemort who was unimpressed with Harry's show of strength, just mildly amused that he himself had let the constraints go.

Voldemort lifted his wand to speak "Avada-."

 _There is a risk-._

Whatever the demon had to say didn't matter. Harry's voice boomed, raw and powerful.

"I DON'T CARE!"

The demon merged with Harry. It was hell. He was burning, his bones were burning, he screamed as his insides wished to leave his body from the sheer pain, every molecule was in _pain_. Yet he was _happy_. He was _hysterical._ He was _winning_.

Harry's eyes were red with literal fire as he laughed. He laughed, the dark emotions that were running rampant inside him, he could _feel_ now the thousands of burning, decaying, dead souls within the demon screaming and writhing and telling him to do it, that Voldemort deserved it. He heard their pleas, their desire for revenge.

He felt their fury.

Harry barely had to think it as the world came crashing down on Voldemort, _sucking_ his soul pieces out of their hiding spots, forming them back together in front of Harry and Harry laughed cruelly.

"This is what you deserve." Harry said with enough spite, bitterness, and hate to make even Professor Snape proud, a thought that left another pang in Harry's heart. "You deserve this."

Then the torture began. The death eaters watched in horror as their master experienced a pain that was beyond physical – it was a soul they could all see, they watched as the soul screamed for mercy, the soul of Tom Riddle, the soul that looked human even.

It was wrong. The death eaters got to their knees and averted their eyes, some covered their ears as their faces scrunched in horror that even they couldn't imagine.

Harry ripped the soul to shreds and brought it back together. He made it experience the pain of thousands over and over, he made it experience hell itself over and over.

And he was just getting started. With his new found powers Harry didn't even tire. His burning rage hadn't subsided yet.

Days later it still didn't subside. Harry was still recklessly pouring his heart out at Tom Riddle's soul when a hand reached out and touched his shoulder. It seemed a death eater had finally became so afraid he had gone down to fetch a friend of Harry's, to calm him down.

Harry glanced over and saw his best friend, scarred, without a leg, blinded in one eye and bitterly attempting a smile. "Harry?"

Harry screamed.


	2. The Rose

Chosen Character: Lucius Malfoy, year 7, seeker

-.-.-

Lucius impatiently looked out from the lake at the state of affairs. He had only a few weeks left in school, and then he would be free from this wretched school that oozed of muggleborns and Dumbledore's tawdry rules. It was a poor excuse for a school and Lucius made a mental note in his mind to _never_ under any circumstances let his son one day attend this school.

Speaking of sons… Lucius knew he would have one. After all, every generation of the Malfoy family had exactly one child, a son. It was genetics. _Good genetics_. And now it was time for him to make a move solidifying that role for himself in the future – or something close to it.

Lucius had rummaged through countless books on the subject, not that he would admit it, before coming to the idea that he was going to use. Even now he had it in his hands – it was a single red rose. But not just any rose, this rose had multiple petals that could be removed, and every petal that was removed would unfurl into another gift that Lucius had gotten for the girl of his dreams.

A gift for every year they would be apart – that would be nineteen years, older than both of them.

 _There is no way she can ignore this._ Lucius thought smoothly. He prided himself in his ability to enchant anyone he pleased, and he had absolutely no doubt he could enchant Narcissa too. She may have brushed off his advances for the past three years, but she wouldn't continue to do that forever right? He was a Malfoy. He would get what he wanted.

Lucius continued waiting before finally giving up, his hand pricking against a thorn on the rose and bleeding through his trousers as he frowned and headed down to the dungeons in a fast rising fit of rage.

He was supposed to be _strong_ , _irresistible, desired_. So why was it that he was being stood up?

Lucius strode into the hallways of Hogwarts, passing by a group of younger Gryfinndors he recognized as being the bane of Severus' existence– nearly taking points out of rage alone but biting back his tongue. He didn't need more enemies. They might hate Severus but they hadn't shown much hostility towards _him_ yet.

Lucius was in the dungeons now, quickly chanting the passcode to enter the Slytherin common rooms and rushing in, squeezing his hand around his bleeding finger to stop the blood. Really, basic first aid should have come to mind and yet somehow Lucius couldn't even _think_ to use it right now.

And then time held still. Narcissa Black was there. She was positively radiant as always, truly the most beautiful witch in the school, possibly the world. Snogging _Rabastan Lestrange_. Rage rose inside Lucius, a fire and possessiveness he didn't know he owned rising behind his eyes and yet _he couldn't do anything_. Lucius left the common rooms, his body shaking as he raced down the halls, rushing back to a place – any place – besides this.

 _Weak_. That's what he was. Weak. Rabastan was weak, the most cowardly, disgusting, vile… No, no that wasn't the path to climb down. Lucius closed his eyes shut and grabbed his wand tightly, a small droplet of blood rushed down it as he headed for the Forbidden forest without thinking when –

"What are you doing Lucius?" An unsteady teenage voice drawled.

"Severus, what do you -." Lucius twirled around in anger to curse the annoying brat he put up with because he had some _talent_ and could possibly be _useful_ when he noticed something unusual.

Severus always attempted to be collected, cool, though he failed miserably at it. Right now, his eyes were a bloodshot red, his hair stuck to the sides of his face as if he had just recently taken a bath – which wouldn't be a bad idea the boy needed one – and his eyelashes clung together fiercely against his ghost like pale skin.

"I just thought- the forbidden forest – everyone's watching – you could get in trouble so…" Severus spoke rather "eloquently" as he tried to explain.

"Ah." Lucius said, the edge of his lips curling and his eyes narrowing. "Potter and… Black again?"

Severus' eyes widened and he bit his lower lip rather harshly with teeth that were far too square and one was cracked, yet not a fresh injury – why didn't Severus go to a mediwitch? "I… that… Yes." Severus managed finally.

"Why don't we do something about that, hm?" Lucius asked sadistically, a sinister hatred fueling him.

"What… What do you mean?" Severus asked, blinking.

"I mean… Let's get back at them."

"Are you – that is… You're not supposed to do that as a prefect are you?"

"And other students are not supposed to go around attacking you either." Lucius felt he could've phrased that better but didn't stop to think too much on it. "Let's go."

Severus pulled his wand out. "What are we doing?"

"Ohh I was thinking… How about…" Lucius pulled out his rose. "How about we leave a little surprise for them, hm?" Lucius eyes glinted. "That Potter has a thing for… Evans right? That redheaded mudblood?"

Severus' eyes narrowed. "Yeah."

Lucius pulled Severus closer and whispered in his ears, Severus listened and then pushed Lucius away.

"No."

"What?" Lucius asked, irritated.

"I said no. Potter, fine, but Li-Evans had nothing to do with this." Severus said finally.

"Oh wake up." Lucius snapped angrily, as he suddenly felt so very alone – not even _Severus_ was on his side. "She obviously has a thing for Potter."

Severus gripped his wand tightly and walked away. 

Lucius cursed uncharacteristically and slumped against the wall, scowling at a group of Hufflepuffs as he counted the days until he would leave this miserable hellhole.


	3. Space Eaters

QLFC – Round 3

QLFC

Seeker/Pride of Portree/Round6/ "sci-fi" (always wanted to do an alien fic!)

QLFC

Lucius never did believe in all that astrology bogus. Even in the wizarding community it was taken with a grain of salt. Of course, everyone knew of the concept of other planets and other dimensions and whatnot, but then something strange happened.

The muggles _went to the moon_. Who would have thought the muggles could actually achieve something that the wizards were unable to achieve? Lucius was surprised then, when the minister of magic called one of those emergency meetings not a year after he had left Hogwarts, standing next to some man named Tom Riddle that his father had gone to school with.

"We will follow the muggles and go to the moon! No, further, we will go to _Mars_." The Minister had said. It seemed utterly ridiculous. How would a wizard even get there?

What was more ridiculous the onslaught of applause all around, wizards actually thought it was a good idea! What on earth were they thinking? Well that's just it, it wasn't on earth what they were thinking.

And so Tom Riddle gathered a group of people, wizards from other countries even showed up. It took three years to create apparition circles that worked between multiple people and would combine their magic to take them to different locations at record speed.

Yes, they actually planned to apparate there! And Lucius couldn't give up such a good opportunity, it called for power, for fame, to be one of the first wizards to step on a strange new planet… Well not so strange, wizards had been gazing at Mars for centuries…

So Lucius stood around the circle with numerous others, they dubbed themselves Space Eaters and combined their magic, at the center of it all was Tom Riddle looking like a child given candyland itself – candyland being one of those wizarding theme parks Lucius always planned to take his son to. Planned to. Everyone had bubblehead charms and special dragonhide cloaks on, wands out, touching each other's –mostly, Tom had his raised to the sky, pointed at Mars.

Anyway, they combined their magic and colorful lights splayed out between them all swirling and combining together to make something new and then they were apparating.

But it wasn't Mars where they ended up. Lucius could tell because, when he looked out into the blank nothingness thanks to the lack of atmosphere where they ended up, he didn't see Earth, or the moon, or anything else he should have recognized. It wasn't even black like it was in the muggle television sets that Lucius had the unfortunate need to view at some point for research purposes.

No, they stood on a strange new place with a purplish blue sky and no stars.

"Where are we?" Barty Crouch, some former hufflepuff asked with a tone that gave away his fear. Lucius lost a tiny bit of respect for the man.

"I don't think we're on Mars." The dolt Regulus Black bothered to ask. Of course they weren't on Mars! Anyone could see that. Lucius winced at the stupidity and looked towards Tom Riddle who was gazing about excitededly.

And then it happened. They came in swarms, creatures that Lucius had never seen before, creatures with a single wide eye and tentacle like slippery arms coming from a singular form. Lucius would've said they looked like an octopus but to do so might just be an insult to the octopi. Lucius winced and pointed his wand at them before realizing that the _things_ were apparating! Towards them!

Lucius jumped back and screamed "Stupify!" Besides him the others fell into place, and Tom Riddle moved not at all, making an expression none of them recognized.

"There is nothing to fear…" Tom said, calmly walking forth. He spoke in some foreign tongue and the swarms held off their attack, their large singular eyes boring into the Space Eater's.

And then it happened. One of them jumped up and attached itself to Tom's face, and began sucking, some strange slimey ooze falling off its body.

"Should I do something?" Some idiot, probably Crabbe, bothered to ask.

"OF COURSE YOU IDIOT!" Lucius howled as he screamed "expelliarmus" But it was too late, because suddenly many more were scrambling forth, and someone had the state of mind to put up a large shield.

It was Bellatrix who managed to get the thing off of Tom and suddenly Tom, white as a sheet, managed to say "retreat!"

And so they did. They formed their circle once more, shields up with the _things_ piling up high, slime running through their disgusting forms.

It took only a few moments and next thing they knew they were back home and everything was okay.

"Where did we end up?" Someone, Carrow it seemed, had grabbed Tom by the collar and was asking him. "Where?! You were in charge of apparition, what were you thinking about? It wasn't Mars! The plan was flawless we would have ended up there if it was !"

"I don't know, I don't know! I will… I will have to do research." Tom said softly, waving his hands.

"Fine!" Carrow threw Tom to the ground and began waltzing towards the ministry. "We have to report this."

The Space Eaters nodded in unison and strode off. Lucius turned to look towards Tom, who was alone with him. Then Lucius noticed something strange, something odd, something that somehow everyone else had missed in their haste.

Tom's eyes were entirely black. Tom looked at Lucius, and opened his mouth, one giant eye staring back at Lucius from the depths, wiggling to get free.


	4. Lily

Lily

L

Amortentia is always the one Severus dreads the most. The week that he teaches it, Severus would try several things to get around the problem. At first he would drink a potion that would stop his sense of smell. Unfortunately, that resulted in a rather nasty lab accident that sent several students to the hospital the first year he taught it. He had been unable to catch the scent of a potion going awry.

The next year he tried something a little different to distance himself. He tried using an unnaturally strong amount of pepper-up potion to counteract the incredible despair he knew he would feel. It worked to a degree, but it seemed he was _too_ happy. In fact, he was so happy that his students feared something was wrong and Madame Pomfrey was called. Severus was submitted to the hospital wing with a psych evaluation for once, and Albus, oh Albus was even worse, he came bearing sweets and watched Severus over half-moon speckles with his all too knowing gaze and his _pity_. It was more than Severus could bear.

The next year he tried something that he truly believed would work. Instead of focusing on himself, he got a plant. A plant that sat on his desk and would eat up negative emotions. Unfortunately, it turned out a student in the class had recently learned of their parent's death and the plant began to eat at the child's emotions so strongly and grow so quickly that the students were _afraid of the plant._ The child was deeply affected by the events and the strange emotions it incited in him in his time of grieving and the plant was outlawed from the school. In addition, Severus received a very stern lecture on messing with the emotions of students – and Severus lost the heart to argue with Dumbledore about all the other ways in which Hogwarts emotionally scarred students.

That was when he stopped trying anything at all. That first year was the worst. He procrastinated and put it off as long as he possibly could, but he could not avoid it forever. It was a potion, how could he, a professor of potions, be afraid of potions? And yet he was just a little. When the time came he taught his students everything he could about it. It happened far too quickly.

The scent, the overpowering scent of Lily, of the dew filled grass on Saturday mornings that they'd play on as children, of the honeysuckles they would pick, of the fresh scent of the lake they sometimes swam in. It filled the potions classroom so entirely that Severus trembled with shock and despair, in lost love and lost friendship. He missed her so terribly, the scent so strong he could almost see her bright green eyes staring into his dark, cold ones.

He walked through the classroom, shocked that no one seemed to notice the state he was in, of one who was very ready to burst into tears. It became too much to bear about ten minutes in, so he turned his back to his students so that they could not see him and dismissed the class, holding back a sob.

He cried when they left, tears falling freely once more. He drank himself to a coma that night after all his classes left and once again wished for nothing but death's cruel hands to come for his neck. It never came, it never gave him that mercy, that kindness. Severus could almost laugh at the irony. Life was never kind to him, but it seemed neither was death, or it would have come for him.

It got better after that. Severus began to occlude during his classes, distance himself from it all, from everything. He focused heavily on his students and acted as close to his normal self as he possibly could. Dumbledore probably noticed something was wrong on those days, occluding was not good for his mental health, but luckily had the good sense to say nothing at all.

The worst of it came when it was time to teach Harry Potter's class. Severus did the same thing he did every year, occlude, occlude like nothing he could do before, barking at Gryfinndor's, reducing points, praising Slytherin. He followed the pattern, he was _normal_ and he did everything he could to show it.

When Lily's scent pervaded the room like nothing before Severus hardly noticed, he was too busy occluding, compartmentalizing his feelings. He hid them in a box and stored them away. Until he slipped. The mistake came in looking directly into Harry's eyes – Lily's eyes. Those emerald irises took him straight back to the greatest days of his life.

He saw himself in those eyes. He saw Lily in them. He saw Lily take his hand on a moonlit night and show him fairies in the forbidden forest, he saw himself show Lily a new spell he learned. He saw many things in those eyes. And he wished he were dead because the scent of those memories was all he had.

"50 points from Gryfinndor!" Severus barked, hoping the sound in his throat went unnoticed by the students. Luckily, they were too focused on their own potion, their own scent, as Severus took out his rage at life, his pent up emotions on Neville, before occluding again, and falling into a sweet nothingness like he needed to.

He would see those eyes again and they would be like the scent. Severus drank again that night for the first time in a long time. Dumbledore didn't question him when he didn't come for dinner.


	5. Marauder Night

Marauder Night

MN

Lily runs at record speed, wand in hand, through the Forbidden forest, she has only so long! She heard the scream, the ear splitting howl her friend Mary let out. It was a killer.

Magic was coursing through her, and her wand was an extension of her being. Light filled the forbidden forest like never before as she continues and continues.

It's only a few moments later that she realizes she can't hear the screams anymore. Where did Mary go?

"MARY!" Lily howls into the forest to receive no reply at all.

A rustle, a loud moan. Snapping twigs and falling branches. She can hear heavy breathing and her heart races, blood is rushing and the tiny prickly hair on the back of her neck is standing up. She doesn't need to think any further – Lily runs as fast as she is able, her red hair chasing wildly behind her.

In the end, it seems turning your back to an opponent is the worst idea, because she can hear it now, the sound of heavy breathing at her neck. She screams again just as she hears a loud "STUPIFY!"

"JAMES?!" lily asks much louder than necessary.

"Lily, are you alright?" He pushes.

"I-I don't know." Lily is shaken, she frowns and looks to the side.

"It was one of those giant spiders –"

"Arachumantula-." Lily began.

"Yeah yeah, giant spider thing okay? Lily we have to get out!" James grabs her arm and pushes her towards himself, roughly. He isn't taking risks it seems.

"I can stand." Lily responds angrily.

"Maybe but we don't have TIME, Lily if there's one there's a HUNDRED, just follow me and let's get OUT now." James is in a panic, there's something wrong and Lily can't identify what, but it seems he saved her life.

"Yeah okay." Lily follows him and they run.

MN

She's using polyjuice, Severus had helped her make it. How she managed to a centaur hair is better left undiscussed but was an adventure of its own. Turning into one is a challenge she doesn't think she can do.

James, oh he's another story. James is convinced he's in love with her. But Lily refuses – she isn't interested. She needs to find Mary, because there is a chance she's still alive. The school claim they searched and tried, the ministry too. But they can't be trusted can they? How hard did they _really_ try to look? Lily doesn't believe it for one second. It's her only goal, her only life.

"I'm coming." Lily whispers. It's Severus by her side as they travel. Severus at least, never tries to hit on her, or so it seems. He was good for this, for the adventure.

"Polyjuice now." Severus says, and they both do. The problem is the polyjuice into the same centaur but they figure no one will notice, not even a centaur, if they're lucky. Or maybe they're twin centaurs, but how could anyone tell they weren't? That's right they couldn't prove a thing.

Severus and Lily turn into the horse-beasts and begin. They try to gallop as slowly as possible through the woods, it is completely different as centaurs, less eerie. It almost feels like they have power here.

"So Lily, about James…"

"Yeah?" Lily can feel an annoyance rise in her. She didn't need to be reminded about this! She wanted him _gone_.

"I think you should go out with him."

Lily points her wand at Severus. "Who are you and what have you done to my friend?" Severus would never say such a thing. In the forbidden forest you couldn't trust anyone. No one at all.

"It's me for real! Listen I can prove it – we live by Spinner's End – but like think about it." Severus isn't even fazed by the wand in his face or the anger behind it. "If you do maybe we can find out what happened to Mary. He was there that night. What was he doing there?"

"Would you drop it?" Lily snaps, angrily. Why are they bringing _this_ into it. Why? Mary had nothing to do with any of this. Who cares if James was waltzing through the forbidden forest at night when he clearly shouldn't be, I mean she was too right?

But she couldn't stop the nagging feeling that Severus was right.

"Okay, say your theory is correct."

"It is." Severus always seems so sure when it's about derailing James.

"Then explain to me why he saved me?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"It was a full moon that night." Lily comments. "If there was a werewolf- and you did say Remus was one – he had a reason to be out. He wasn't stalking me or anything."

"Do you really believe that?"

"I do." Lily said.

"Never before did you give weight to my words in such a way." Severus snickers and then they both hush because they have this sudden realization that it is far too quiet.

And then they see it, and look up. It is the full moon and there is a werewolf out tonight.

Lily screams. Severus uses a spell she doesn't recognize in the heat of the moment. That they're centaurs doesn't do a thing to make her feel better. She flashes and tries to destroy the beast, but magic seems to have no effect. She shivers and then it happens so suddenly she isn't sure what it is.

Severus grabs her and they're gone. When did Severus learn to apparate?

"Who are you!" Lily repeats as they're in the safety of Hogsmeade. It's dark, it's loud.

The polyjuice is wearing off and Lily is exhausted. "Expelliarmus!" Lily casts.

"Who are you?" She repeats, though she has no need.

The spell wears off and she sees a ghost.

"Mary?"

"I'm sorry Lily…"

"What the hell is this?" Lily's jaw drops.

"I- I just liked James and thought he would rescue me if-."

"So you told him where we were!"

"It wasn't meant to be that way!"

"Then this whole thing with Severus – and telling me to go out with him – YOU PUT US IN DANGER OVER SOMETHING AS STUPID AS ROMANCE?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD I-." Lily's fury knows no bounds.

Mary looks away.

"What did you do to Severus? Why him? Why those lies?"

Mary shakes her head and flinches. "I told you why. You wouldn't be honest with anyone but Severus and why those lies… James told me to."

"James. Told you to. He knew." Lily tightened her grip on her wand. James had another thing coming. He knew about Mary and let her suffer!

"What are you going to do?" Mary asks, seeing the sparks on Lily's wand.

"You'll see." Lily's eyes glint.


	6. Viridescent Calls

Viridescent Calls

VC

The first time Severus felt it, it was when he saw Lily. She called to him, to his soul, to his being. He felt an instant connection and it gave him strength and power that he could actually feel.

He felt connected. He was also afraid to approach, what if she noticed? What if she hated him? Somehow the idea of her hating him was the worst thing he could imagine.

But eventually, he did approach her. And they became fast friends. The connection never died, and sometimes he wondered if she felt it too.

It wasn't until their fourth year at Hogwarts that first learned about soulmates. Some wizards and witches had them, others did not. Soulmates would often have a connection through which they could feel these emotions, their power would be strengthened so they could protect each other and more besides. Those who had living soulmates were always more powerful.

It didn't kill you to not have one - but having one changed everything. Severus spent a long time thinking that maybe Lily was his soulmate. When she began to date James though, he began to doubt it.

Soulmates didn't work one way - it was a two way street. It was always reciprocated. So Severus waited it out, wondering why he felt surges of power around Lily, why he had a strong need to protect her.

It didn't matter. Life went on, and he followed his fellow Slytherins in following Voldemort, a powerful new political leader whose strength called to Severus. He wanted to be a part of the revolution. Voldemort's speeches were awe-inspiring and Severus could feel Voldemort's power and greatness, and he wanted a part of it.

Everything changed when Lily gave birth. That night, Severus felt that old connection bloom even from the distance with something he could never describe - an overwhelming need to protect, a power unlike any other he had felt rose within him and then died down.

He was seeing things. Seeing James and Lily. He was seeing things through another's perspective!

In the end, he tried ignoring it. But ignoring it didn't do much when eventually he learned of Lily's son and the instant he saw those darkened Greene eyes he knew that was his soulmate. His desire to protect Lily, his connection, it existed for this moment, and now that Harry was born, that old connection had tethered away into nothingness.

Which is why he did everything he could to protect Lily's son. His own life no longer held meaning, he no longer had purpose. He had but one desire - to protect Harry. To that end he allowed himself to be enslaved by Dumbledore. He spied, he lied, he cheated.

He allowed himself to be held down by a job he loathed.

One thing was certain to Severus though - Harry must never learn of their bond if they were to survive. Severus had to protect from the shadows and be a believable sky. He couldn't be there the way a soulmate should be - but for Harry's sake he would be exactly what was needed, even if that meant being a villain.

To that end, he mastered the art of legilmency and occlumency. It wasn't just for blocking out the Dark Lord, he was able to use it to block out his own connection with Harry. He used it guiltily but did not care.

It was harder than he thought it would be. Harry's presence disturbed him, it filled him with guilt for the lies - the bond disapproved of lying to one's mate.

That wasn't all either, it was the power he was holding back. His awareness allowed him to gain immense power and energy, and Harry was left without. It felt wrong somehow, as if he were using Harry even though it was nothing like that.

Everything led up to a single moment in the shrieking shack in which Severus could only say "look at me."

Many people would tell Harry his eyes were like his mother's. Severus would say that was a lie. Harry's eyes were similar in shape and color yes, but the emotions they displayed were quite different, the way they used their eyes were different. The way Harry would look to the side when he was being particularly sarcastic just momentarily was different.

Harry was different. In that moment, something snapped and Severus could see Harry's mouth open in shock, veil of tear shatter as Harry dropped it. In his moment of dying Severus let down his guard and the dam holding back their connection and Harry was being flooded with Severus' every emotion, flooded with the sensation of having a soulmate, overwhelmed by the memories Severus wished so deeply for Harry to see.

Severus looked away, eyes shut. Harry would think him disgusting. Harry would hate him. Harry who didn't know about the bond and would be utterly confused, overwhelmed, uncertain. During a war, how could he handle this?

Severus was surprised then, when instead of an unforgivable heading his way, he felt lithe arms embrace him and hold him still.

"I never knew." Harry said. "I'm here now."

Life flared back into Severus' body as Harry rekindled their bond, power surging through both of them.

It was enough. They didn't need words, their magical bond was enough. They stood with a singular purpose, looking out at the wreckage.

"He will pay." Harry said.

Severus couldn't agree more.


	7. Would you Dance?

Would You Dance?

Bright, colorful lights circled through the room, shaped like butterflies of various types. There was a lot of noise, yet Severus heard none of it.

He licked his lips, hanging in the corner, dark and hiding. He has a single glass of butterbeer in his hands as he watched Lucius, the center of the world.

Lucius' blonde hair was slick with sweat and wild like it never was during the school year. Tonight he let it go, hiding from the pureblood traditions of layering it with gel. His grey eyes were alive with mirth, the edges crinkled with the type of smile that could light up the world.

They were like the sun and moon, as different as they could be. The world revolved around Lucius. Severus wasn't even worth revolving around Lucius - he revolved around the little planet known as Slytherin that revolved around him.

Severus took a swig and wrapped his hand around the golden Felix potion in his pocket. He had gone through painstaking efforts over the past few months in order to acquire the objects necessary. Some were stolen as they were incredibly rare to come by - otherwise everyone in the wizarding world would be high on Felix all the time.

He swallowed, the lump in his throat bobbing harshly as he wondered, "Would you dance if I asked you to dance?" Severus wasn't sure he had the confidence to ask without Felix, but it was his dream.

No longer would he live in a world of dreams. Severus uncorked the potion and lifted it to drink just as Crabbe pushed past him on the way to Lucius. Severus bucked forward and the potion when spilling to the ground and Severus' mouth opened ever so slightly, then pursued in anger. At least he could pretend it was butterbeer.

"Sorry." Came Crabbe's quick reply, spoken just barely over his shoulder as he continued waltzing through the crowd.

Severus could almost laugh at the irony. He was unlucky while trying to use a luck potion. Who knew? Severus took out a wand and cleaned it up, his anger dissolving into intense sorrow after glancing at the gem that was Lucius just one more time.

Severus drank his butterbeer in silence, no longer focused on Lucius, but on Crabbe. He could think only of revenge for months of effort gone to waste. He thought of the various spells he could use, the potions he could slip into Crabbe's drink...

A simple misplaced drink and Crabbe could be embarrassed for life. Perhaps he'd slip in a truth potion or something similar, so that Crabbe would babble all sorts of politically incorrect uncertainties.

Severus pondered them over and over, the edges of his lips curling in delight as his dark eyes glinted with exhilaration at his own thoughts. He was leaning back when he realized something odd. Someone was watching him. He scanned the room with a frown and noticed a glance from Lucius.

Coincidence no doubt. There is no way Lucius would be looking at him.

Severus took another sip and then decided to leave his shadowy hideout. He tossed the butterbeer into the trash with as much nonchalance as he could muster and stalked towards the little cage holding glowing, colorful butterflies. At least he could gain some satisfaction from these wretched things.

He pulled the cage open and let a few more loose, then closed it shut, grabbing one for himself, a bright grey one. How ironic.

He held it by the wing as he went back to his hiding spot, cupping it in his hand and daring to write his own little inscription on the wing with his wand.

Severus pointed the tip of his wand at the wind and muttered a simple spell as he carefully shaped words into both wings on the outer side. The inscription came out a darker grey than the glowing background, the lettering tiny and scrawling - it was unlikely anyone would be able to make out what it even said.

"Would you dance if I asked you to dance?"

Severus inscribed it on both sides and held it in his hands, feeling a fluttery feeling inside as if something were flying inside of him, butterflies probably. He vaguely wondered if one of the wretched gloriously colorful creatures had found its way inside but quickly dissolved the thought. It was only his own nervousness.

Severus cupped the butterfly in his hand for a while, wondering if he should let it loose. No one would know if it were him.

He glanced towards the dance floor again and saw that Lucius wasn't there any more. Severus scanned the room again quickly. Lucius hadn't left had he? Severus was having a mild panic attacks at not seeing the center of his world until it came into full view a few moments later.

Lucius had his arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed downwards as he leaned against the opposite wall, glaring at Severus. Someone was speaking to him, though Lucius took no interest and was actively ignoring whatever was being told to him.

Their eyes met and Lucius uncrossed his arms and straightened up, making a show of adjusting his dress robes. Severus swallowed and the butterfly in his hand crushed, and along with it, Severus' heart.

Lucius was angry with him and Severus had no idea how or why, but there was no hope no. He looked down and held back tears, gritting his teeth to welcome anger instead.

The music was loud enough that Severus didn't hear it at first, a voice that reflected that silky aristocratic drawl speaking to him.

"-not paying attention to me Severus."

"What?" Severus snapped his head up and realized Lucius freaking Malfoy was talking to him.

"Ignoring me now like you were on the dance floor? Was Crabbe more interesting to you?" Lucius sneered. "Forget Crabbe, Severus. Dance with me."


	8. The Potion

A/N: this is the EXACT same story as the Naruto version except the names were changed. I ship both ships because they are identical in personality to each other so it's easily interchangeable. The story is the same. The change took only a minute or so. I'm still irked because to me Naruto is both a book and a cartoon :P but apparently not to everyone? Even though there is are several written not comic published books of Naruto too -_- Naruto is big enough to have movies, TV show, cartoon, book etc. and be multiple things.

Shahryar fixed his necktie and hurried down to the dungeons. He was exhausted from the night before, having spent a little longer staying up to read than he should have. He wasn't the only one though, it was basically expected in Ravenclaw that kids would have those days where they did nothing but read.

He had potions with the Gryfinndors today. Shahryar took a stand next to Shah immediately. The two had been paired together for an assignment in their second year, in charms of all things, because their professor believed in interhouse relationship building or something like that. The two had been inseparable since then.

"How unusual for you to be only five minutes early." Shah teased.

"I was up late." Shahryar offered.

Shah laughed, loud and hollow. The sound echoed off of the chamber walls. "Yes, you certainly look it."

Shahryar did not answer, but knew it to be true. He had deep, dark bags around his eyes from researching late into almost every night. Sleep was a luxury he didn't have time for.

Shah had already laid out their ingredients, and Shahryar knew that Shah would have memorized the instructions for today's assignment already. Of course, it would be on the board as well.

The class filed in and soon the teacher, began speaking in his drawl, explaining the potion and how it worked. He began filing through the class as he walked, while Shah and Shahryar began prepping their ingredients.

They both had more respect than to the actual brewing until the professor asked, but the moment he gave the OK, they were both hastily beginning, in perfect tune with each other.

Amortentia was a potion they both hadn't already brewed at some point. Shah was quite good in potions and often had already attempted very difficult ones on his own while Shahryar researched his interest of the week. They had a special room they found while exploring one of the towers that was more of a trick, or an illusion perhaps, where no one really disturbed them.

It was new to them both but they both managed it perfectly on the first try.

"What does it smell like to you, Shahryar?" Shah asked, there was something strange about his voice that Shahryar couldn't quite place.

Shahryar hadn't exactly thought about what it would smell like despite its importance. Romance wasn't exactly of interest to him. He leaned forward to get a whiff of the potion and then closed his eyes.

"It's salty... Like the sea. Maybe a mix of lemon, and the cool breeze in winter. Mostly it's sea salt. Kind of reminds me of lemony ice cream." Shahryar said, realizing only after he spoke that he had just described Shah's scent. He cleared his throat and looked towards Shah through different eyes, asking with a slight edge to his voice. "and what do you smell?"

"Sandalwood, pine, the scent I expect when I sneak into the forbidden forest."

"Oh." Shahryar said, wondering briefly what he smelled like.

They said little to each other, both lost in the startling realizations. Shahryar wondered whether he should act on the potion's thoughts. He knew he was gay - he always knew. He knew Shah was too, as the man often dated men, or women, and quite openly too. Why not try it out as well? The thought left his heart fluttering and a nervousness Shahryar wasn't used to flittered in the pit of his stomach.

They cleaned up and were the first to be finished, leaving as soon as the professor gave them the A-OK, as always.

They had over an hour and half of free time, now and as usual, they both found themselves in that room they always ended up in between classes, after classes, always. Their walk was quiet, almost thoughtful.

"Hey Shah?"

"Yeah?"

"What do I smell like to you?"

"Pine, sandalwood... Perhaps the forbidden forest."

Shahryar could have died. It was surreal to hear it spoken so casually as Shah picked up the daily newspaper, flipping over to the quidditch section.

"What do I smell like to you, Shahryar?"

"Sea salt and lemon." Shahryar squeaked. His face was impassive, but his voice betrayed his nervousness.

Shah froze in place, that had obviously not been the answer he expected. Then he slowly put down his newspaper and looked up at Shahryar.

"Shah?"

"Yes?" Shah asked, standing up.

"Would you perhaps..." Shahryar put his hands in his pockets. Was Shah even single right now? Shahryar had lost track of the people Shah dated, and stopped trying to care. He had asked Shah to tell him when it was serious, otherwise they could resume life as usual. Shah had complied. "Like to go out with me?"

Shah was towering over him within moments, his abnormally large height engulfing Shahryar's hand found it's way into Shahryar's long hair, caressing the side of Shahryar's head.

"There's nothing else I've wanted for the past few years."

Shahryar exhaled, relaxing. He trusted Shah completely. The idea that he was another ring on Shah's bedpost didn't even cross his mind. "Really?"

"Yes." Shah was stepping closer, and somehow Shahryar found himself stepping away until he hit the wall. "Are you afraid?"

"No." Shahryar said. Not of Shah, though he couldn't understand why Shah was getting so close.

"Why do you run?"

"You are too close." Shahryar answered simply.

"I'm trying to kiss you."

"Oh." Oh. "I'd like that."

Shah chuckled, and pressed Shahryar against the wall with his figure his hands cupping the side of Shahryar's face as he leaned down for a soft, chaste kiss.


	9. Ron

Ron

Ron woke in the middle of the night, Harry was snoring off to the side and Neville was half fallen off of his bed. The moonlight Shen through the window of the dorm and filled the room with a dim light.

Ron crept out of bed and down to the common room - no one was out of bed except for him, it seemed. He continued towards the door and out of the hallways.

Fifth year was a dark time for them all, and Ron hated how little he was able to do for Harry. Stress upon stress piled up until Ron was close to bursting.

Until one day an old secret occurred to him - a secret he was heading to at this very moment.

Ron didn't have an invisibility cloak, but he would take a bet that even the professors were asleep right now, and the other denizens of Hogwarts probably had no interest in helping the teachers with students who were out of bed because professors did patrol after all, no one relied on the armored statues.

Well it didn't matter, not tonight. Ron's only concern was getting caught by Umbridge, but even that frog had to sleep sometime.

Ron slithered towards the familiar trapdoor and went inside, closing it behind him. He fell into devil's snare. It was as uncomfortable as the first time, never his favorite part this was. But he had learned, they all had.

It didn't take long for Ron to eventually make his way to the old chess board, where the pieces were all perfectly aligned.

"I'm back." Ron announced. He wasn't sure the pieces understood him exactly, or missed him, but somehow he had began to form a bond with them, a bond he couldn't explain, one sided as it was.

The pieces shifted into place and Ron - he didn't play knight, not tonight. He was king, he was the general, he held lives in his hand.

Every game Ron played he fought to preserve every piece he could. Every time he inevitably lost pieces and every time he broke down after.

Harry was going down a dark path, and somehow, somewhere, Ron hoped that if he tried hard enough he would eventually master the board in such a way that no one would get hurt. That one of his friends wouldn't be lost in what was to come.

Every time he failed, yet he never stopped trying. This was his second month back at Hogwarts and easily his twelfth trip here. The trips were becoming more frequent.

He won again. He always won, but it wasn't really winning. It wasn't really winning because he did not save everyone. It was his fault, he was the king. It was his fault, he was the strategist. It was his fault, why didn't he think of something?

Tonight after his loss, Ron broke down again, mourning for the lost pieces. They always reformed of course, it was Wizard's chess. But not even Wizards could bring back the dead.

Ron sobbed and sat on the marble floor, cross legged among the dust and rubble of what was destroyed. Destruction he should have been able to prevent.

When he was ready, Ron got up to leave, but not before a piece slid in front of him, blocking his way.

"You can't save us all." The knight said, it's voice gravelly. "You can do this a hundred times but you will never save us all. It's alright. We gladly give our life for the cause."

Ron paused, surprised only for the briefest moment that they finally spoke to him, and were able to correctly guess at his intentions. Somehow he didn't mind that they saw his sobbing after every battle, though he probably should have been embarrassed.

"I would gladly be the one to die in their place." Ron said finally. "I cannot- I don't want to lose them."

"In what is to come, loss is expected."

"Do you know what's coming?" Ron asked, wondering where on earth these stone statues got their news from. Seriously did the ghosts of Hogwarts drift in and out of these random rooms and gossip?

"War." The piece replied. "It's always war with you people."

Well naturally a piece playing a game dedicated to war would think everything was about war.

There might actually be a war coming up anyway. Ron sighed.

"Yeah I guess."

But he had more pressing concerns. With puffy red eyes, Ron slipped back through the hallways and narrowly avoided running through a ghost - he really did not need that chill - until he was at his common room again.

The portrait had been asleep - really can't the portraits keep track of who goes in and out? They have to have professors stalk the hallways? Ron re-entered the common room after rudely awaking the painting and sat down in one of the common room chairs.

"Where were you?" A voice, soft and equally laden with guilt asked.

"Hermione?!" Ron asked, nearly jumping.

But Hermione was not here to judge him, not today. She had a butterbeer that she handed to him. "I've noticed you going out. I didn't say anything at first... But I thought today maybe..."

"How did you find out?"

"Because I'm awake too." She admitted, and only then did Ron notice she had been crying too.

"You're also worried." Ron said, it was a statement, a realization.

"Is that why you've been out?"

Ron nodded, and no more had to be said. They sat together by the fire, drinking butterbeer.


	10. Dream World

Dream World

Prompt - Bellatrix Lestrange. Pairing Bellatrix/Voldemort

Bellatrix Lestrange had always loved Voldemort. It was his ideals, his dark allure, his powerful energy, it was everything. She loved how he commanded the floor, how the very world itself recoiled around him. As far as she was concerned, it did revolve around him.

So she did everything she could for him. With Voldemort, there were no secrets in her mind, she had no qualms with him seeing into her very soul, and he was pleased with her, she knew, for she would look upon him with unabashed fear and adoration. Her loyalty was second to none. There was a reason she quickly became "his most loyal servant."

There was just one problem. Voldemort simply didn't do romance. She understood of course, why would her God, her savior, the greatest being to walk this little planet ever want to degrade himself to the status of mere mortals And something as petty as romance? Clearly she was at fault here, but how could she be happy without the one thing she could never have?

She had all the riches in the world, piles upon piles of gold that she could dance in at Gringnotts and yet it was never enough to quench her greed for Voldemort.

So she found another way. A rainy, thunderous day in late summer when she went to Gringnotts and removed thousand of coins. She instantly spent them all in a moment in an alley far more shady than Knockturn Alley could ever claim to be (and that's saying something because Knockturn Alley is so shady you can't even see the sun, there is mold to prove it).

The witch she met in this very shady alley gave her a small package, and took thousands of gold coins for it before disappearing.

Bellatrix did her duty to the lord that night by marrying her husband, but as soon as she was alone she went to her room, locked it despite the Knocks.

"Bella, honey?" Her husband's voice outside called. "Everything alright."

"Yes dear." Bellatrix answered sweetly, opening the package contents. "Just give me a moment."

Bellatrix quickly swooped a hand into the bag and removed a single scoop of powder inside. It was best not to ask exactly what this powder contained - but I can assure you it was some very foul stuff much worse than dragon balls - and she sprinkled some onto her tongue.

Within moments the world around Bellatrix began to change and be very fuzzy, just for a few moments. Than the bag fell the floor with a soft plop and she stood with intense joy. You see, Bellatrix was happy because Bellatrix had everything in the world that she ever wanted.

Bellatrix exited the room and Voldemort stood on the other side with a huge smile on his face and his arms open wide. "Come my Bellatrix."

Bellatrix flung herself into his arms and he laughed, circling her in the air and they were so both so happy they never wanted that moment to end.

This continued everyday for a week until the scar on Bellatrix's arm began to tingle. She understood even as she looked at the man who should be calling her.

They both apparated and stood among the death eaters. Voldemort walked through them all and read their minds in his quick seething way in which Bellatrix knew only the most accomplished of legimens like her love could ever accomplish and she waited for her turn.

Her eyes met her master's for only the briefest moment and she could promise she saw the barest of smirks on his lips before he went on, ignoring her existence as he always did.

She did not hide her shameful secret from him, she had no reason to. Yet that night she used the powder again.

"I don't understand... Why no children yet?" Rodolphins asked his wife one day.

"I don't know love." Bellatrix said in response, though she did know even as she hid the blood in her sink by washing it off as quickly as possible. Slowly and steadily her insides were deteriorating and dying off for her lusts.

She had to come off the drugs or she would no longer be useful to her master. So she did so very painfully, deciding that night that she could handle no more.

It went better than she could have ever hoped. She was able to get off quickly and back to her love. It worked because she had only one goal In mind, goal stronger than any drug she took could ever have hoped to be, the very thing that drove her to it.

Love.

It was the very thing that killed her the night the potter boy killed her beloved.

Her screams were unending as she slammed his mark into the sky over and over dating anyone to ever tell her he was gone, her beloved, her obsession, her everything! He was not gone! He was a part of her, forever and always.

She left The Dark Mark everywhere she could and when she ran out of tears she went home to the little bag that had just s little powder left and swallowed it all whole.

The world was perfect and Voldemort lived and together the two of them tortured and killed and made merry as they always did, happily.

She did not speak even when she sat upon her throne. Across from her her beloved told her to be still while the others asked her questions - to answer appropriately. Yes she had nothing to fear because wherever she went, the dark lord was by her side. She glared down the muggleborns and sympathizers, blood traitors! Disgusting beasts. Her nostrils flared and she did not give in.

In Azkaban it came back to haunt her. She screamed as the drugs came back to her from the dementors, all happiness gone, the realization that Voldemort was gone. She longed for her powder.

Until the day she snapped and the dementors could bring her no sadness. She saw her lord by her side and he removed her from the prisons.

Even the dementors avoided her after that.


	11. Pureblood marriage law

Pureblood Marriage Law

PML

Seeker, pride of portree, Prompt: marriage law

PML

The law began immediately following the fall of Voldemort. It was determined the concept of pureblood in wizarding society was detrimental to everyone's wellbeing. Not only that, it added an unnecessary caste system that gave rise to brings like Voldemort.

Therefore, a wizarding law was brought into order. The law states that every existing pureblood must marry a muggleborn witch or wizard or risk execution. Purebloods were no longer "allowed."

Hermione thought it was punishment for both muggleborns and purebloods, especially because she had no interest in a marriage arranged by the government. Still, she was fine with it. She had a pureblood boyfriend after all, Ronald Weasley.

That is, until the government decided to pair her up with Draco freaking Malfoy. Suffice to say, they both - her and Draco - lost their temper the moment they found out and destroyed the government office they were brought to in tandem. The offices decided that was reason enough that she and Draco would be a good match.

Hermione was prepared for all manner of insults and responses, and was surprised when none came. Instead, Draco seemed almost resigned, deadened.

"What happened to you?" She asked.

He would not answer, and she realized the answer was simple, the same thing that has happened to them all. It was war. She didn't push him for more.

They got married at the ministry with no ceremony, just a forced signing of paper after being denied the ability to leave the country - she and Ron did try that. It really wasn't fair, Ginny didn't get paired up with a muggleborn. She married Harry before the law came into place and so she and Harry were living happily ever after on their honeymoon, or she and Ron might have tried getting his help. As it is, he was probably unaware of their struggles, too busy in the arms of his new wife.

So now Hermione was setting some ground rules. She would not move in with Draco, or go to malfoy manor. The marriage law did not mean they had to spend time together, just have a piece of paper that told them what they were.

Hermione ignored Draco and continued to publicly date Ron, even when Ron was paired up with some muggleborn girl.

The problem came with the gifts. Draco began sending them, and Hermione began burning them in disgust.

She began working in the ministry, to bring the law down among other things. Draco was there too, surprisingly, supporting her. It turned out they were in the majority, for some reason most people were very happy with this insane new law.

Then there was the issue of Draco being an empty shell all the time since the war. What happened to his snark? Even Hermione was getting a little worried, but it wasn't her problem. He was a vile little cockroach.

The next major problem came in when the military decided married couples needed to live together. Whoops. Well, she wasn't going to live in malfoy manor, that was for sure.

Draco suggested an apartment in London close to her job, and Hermione was surprised he cared enough or even knew what her job was. She agreed.

Even when living with Draco Malfoy, she saw Ron in secret, though he seemed to be getting more and more distant and Hermione worried that Ron was sick.

Living with Draco was not hard. He didn't bother her. He bought his own things and spent his time doing some research of his own or looking through the sports section of the newspaper.

One day, curiosity got the best of her and she decided to take a look at what he was doing. He was researching wands, something she never thought he would take an interest in. Turned out, the danger of finding treasure - or the parts of the wand - thrilled him. She should have guessed. Men.

Ron became more distant until Hermione asked what was up. He said he was in love with her wife. They didn't meet again for a long time after that breakup.

She came home feeling like a zombie and surprisingly, Draco joined her. They were zombies together, zombies who ordered Chinese food via owl delivery. Zombies who turned on the wizarding TV - a new thing for the wizarding world - and watched a soppy soap opera, one of the few that existed. It was broadcast from India.

It was almost a year later that Hermione admitted Draco wasn't as bad as he once was. Then again, he wasn't good either. He was a broken shell, barely capable of functioning. She resigned herself to her fate when she saw Ron and his new wife kissing in public.

"What's wrong?" She asked Draco.

Draco looked at her as if she asked what color the sky was, and then everything changed.

Harry came back, and Hermione invited Draco to join them.

Harry and Draco looked at each other but offered no snark, with Harry expecting the worst any moment and never receiving it.

Hermione made it her mission to get to Draco like she did her house elves, and Draco noticed. Apparently that made all the difference, he talked easily about the war, about his family, about how he felt maybe he was wrong in what he grew up learning.

Hermione agreed to meet his family later. It turned out to be pretty easy. Lucius and Narcissa hated the marriage law as much as Hermione and they spent hours complaining about it together over dinner.

Life with Draco wasn't so bad, maybe it could work out.


	12. Melancholy

QLFC Semi Finals Round 3

 **Title:** Wing and a Prayer

 **Character** : Argus Filch

 **Team:** Pride of Portree

 **Position:** Seeker

Wing and a Prayer

The moon over Hogwarts was full and in its glory, and a great quiet had finally settled across the school. There were few times when peace settled over Hogwarts to where nature was able whisper to itself and hear the replies, and it was when the majority of Hogwarts was fast asleep that the thestrals came out of the woods.

Dark, skinny, and almost emaciated bodies moved about in the dark. Soft, droning sounds echoed across the green as mares called to their foals. Smaller shapes moved against larger ones as they trailed out of the forest's safety, even though thestrals were hardly defenseless in any way, shape, or form. Being invisible to most did have its perks, after all.

Few people could see the thestrals, and fewer still could appreciate them for what they truly were, but there was one person in Hogwarts that had a true secret, and that person was Argus Filch.

Argus walked alone out to the edges of the forest, silent save for the trudge of his feet. His face was calm and free of the scowl that normally creased his face. Mrs Norris padded beside him, dutiful as ever. He paused only to gaze back at Hogwarts and its glory. The sight never failed to take his breath away. The silence and the lack of children at this hour brought him peace like no other time could.

Gone were the whispered, mocking ridicule of the staff and students. Oh, he knew. He knew about what they said. Dirty, filthy, squib that he was. The world was mad with factioning. Students were pitted against themselves with holier than thou bigotry. He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named had begun to be called by a different name. Some called him the Dark Lord with this odd, almost fearful reverence. Some called him… Voldemort.

The only thing that was clear was that it was going to get far, far worse than better before all was said and done. The only thing Argus Filch knew for sure was that there would be no room for him in the new world of Voldemort—any more than there would be room for him in the world that was struggling to keep Voldemort's long, fingers out of it.

Squib.

Freak.

He was born of magical parents. He was born from a magical family, and for a brief time in his life, everything had been perfect. Then, one day, the letter from Hogwarts never came.

His parents had been devastated. His mother had cried for months, wasting away from the shame of having a defective child. No longer could she take her child to social events and boast how well he was doing in school. No longer could she treat him as a magical son.

He wasn't able to do magic. No, he was… defective.

Argus squared his jaw as he walked, fighting back the unshed tears that always came. Once they had been tears of despair. Sometimes, they were tears of fury incarnate. They were tears of fury most fo the time. It was unfair to be born into a world of magic and not be able to touch the very thing that witches and wizards took for granted. It was _infuriating_.

And because he was, by all matters of opinion of the common wizard and witch, disabled, he was looked on as being unintelligent. No one took him seriously. No one cared about Argus Filch. Well, no one seemed to care but Mrs Norris and strangely Albus Dumbledore.

Headmaster Dumbledore had always looked on him with less than disdain. He had given him the Caretaker position with a smile, saying he was glad to have him. He had always seemed glad to see him, and looked out for him—even when Argus had started to turn bitter and nasty.

Argus blamed the students. Hogwarts itself was a beauty beyond measure, but its students were often cruel and demeaning, and it was no more so evident than when dealing with him.

 _Filthy squib._

 _He can't do a lick of magic._

 _He can't even make a Lumos spell, can you imagine?_

 _Did you know the only one that loves him is his cat? Even his mother rejected him. Even his father left his family in his shame._

 _He's shameful._

 _What a horrible man._

 _He hugs his cat because she's the only one that will give him the time of day._

Oh, Argus heard it all. He was unable to to magic, sure, but his ears were still working. Sometimes, he wished that wasn't the case. Sometimes, he wished he'd never wake up.

But, he did wake up. Every day a little more bitter. Every day, he had a bigger scowl.

The only one that seemed to have a more dour expression on his face at Hogwarts was Severus Snape, and even that Dark Wizard got to sit at the Head Table as someone that should be respected. Not Argus, no. He sat invisible… like the staff.

But Argus had one ultimate secret, and at night, that secret was his alone.

His mother had committed suicide. He could see the Thestrals.

His hands touched the deceptively soft skin of the nearby mare. She nickered at him, droning like the soft song of a land whale. She nipped his fingers, looking for treats.

This was his secret. His one true love. The one secret that loved him back. It was what kept him at Hogwarts, even when the students were unbearable and trying to kill his cat.

Argus let out a soft smile as his hands caressed the Thestral's body. She nickered and bowed, inviting him to mount.

Argus smiled broadly and pulled himself up. Mrs Norris leapt up into his lap and he cradled her.

The Thestral stood and nickered, trotting off once he was seated. Then, in a smooth motion, she carried him to the stars as she had every night before.

It was his secret.

It was his love, and he was okay with that.


	13. The Wolf in Your Stars

The Wolf in Your Stars

 **Author's Note: OTP for Magpie's Seeker is Sirius/Remus**

 **Was betaed by:** **Moka-girl &, Jessica, thank you.**

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 **The Wolf in Your Stars**

Sirius was there, even in the cold of the night, right by his side.

"The others?" Remus rasped.

"They're home," Sirius answered, leaning down to take his hand.

Remus closed his eyes and accepted the comfort, however little it may have seemed.

"I could just tell, you know," Sirius continued, "instinctively." He gave Remus' hand a little squeeze. "I came as soon as I felt it."

'But it's too late now,' Remus thought to himself.

He was dying, Remus knew, but there was something he wanted to say before it was too late. Even as all sensation began to leave him, he still had so many things he wanted to say. Wanting and doing were always so different, and it was sometimes hard to bring both together.

The moon was full above them, pale and glorious as it hung in the midnight sky. For the first time since he'd been bitten as a child, he was not going through the agonising transformation. He had found a cure in his search to be worthy, even though Sirius had continuously told him he had _always_ been worthy and didn't need it.

He had searched and searched obsessively until the day he had found a cure at last. Unfortunately, that was the day on which he had been destined to die. He just hadn't known it yet.

Remus lay spread-eagle on top of a flattened mesa of stony ground where he had fought his beast and battled to the death. Blood was everywhere, dripping over his skin and down the rock, but the irony was that most of it wasn't even _his_ blood.

He had scratches, sure, but that wasn't what was killing him. What was killing him was the removal of something that was such a vital piece of himself—a piece of his very soul—a beast that had merged with him and become man. It was the reverse for Remus, for he had been the man who had become a beast.

Remus laughed at the irony. It was a dry, humourless laugh that pained him. He had always thought that he and his beast were different, but the beast had taken a part of what made Remus a man, just as Remus had taken a part of what made the beast a beast. Remus had thought that the beast had festered and eaten what humanity he had, turning him into a monster that was irredeemable and unworthy of love.

That hadn't been the full truth. He'd been mistaken.

Somewhere along the path he had been set upon by Fenrir Greyback, Remus had lost sight of what made him human. He had believed himself to be lacking the very characteristics that Sirius had always told him he had.

Instead, Remus realised, Sirius had become his humanity. No, that wasn't quite right. Sirius had become a _reminder_ of his humanity. Remus' eyes flicked towards Sirius, and he tried to lift his hands to touch his cheek one more time.

He couldn't.

"Remus," Sirius whispered in a low rumble, and, in that one utterance, he betrayed all of his emotions and all of his love. It was something Remus believed he had never deserved and never should have taken. And now, Sirius would mourn and suffer, and it would forever be Remus' fault.

He began to open his mouth, an apology ready at his lips, when a single finger stopped him, pressing against his mouth.

"Don't," Sirius rasped, voice choked back by emotion. "I love you Remus, I always will, and nothing will make me regret that."

' _Don't love me. Move on. Find someone who loves you. Be happy.'_

He wanted to say those things, but the words never came. Instead, tears stung the edges of his eyes. The wind picked up, and Remus could smell the coppery blood of the beast he had defeated. Sirius looked up to face the creature, eyes soft as he sighed.

It was then that Remus knew. Sirius did not see a beast; he saw Remus. His eyes were as loving as they took in the monster as they had been with Remus only moments ago.

The monster _was_ Remus.

The beast had truly been a part of him. Sirius loved and had loved every part of Remus—even the beast. Sirius loved him still, even as he lay, literally, in two pieces: a man and a beast.

Remus smiled because he realized in that very moment what he had never been able to bring himself to truly believe before. It was strange that it was only after killing one side of himself that he was finally coming to accept that the wolf and the man had never been two separate entities. Now, as the beast—no, the wolf—lay dead not so far from Remus, he found that he was finally willing to accept the wolf and truly live with it.

Remus looked up at the full moon, and for the first time admired it for its beauty. He saw Sirius' dark hair framed in the moonlight and felt true regret. He felt a profound sadness for Sirius — his best and truest friend, who perhaps could have been so much more than a friend, had he allowed it. Sirius was a dog, loyal to the end. Remus hoped that Sirius would not pine himself to death like the akita from the Japanese legend of Hachiko. He truly believed he did not deserve such unfailing loyalty. He was here on the mesa, dying, having thought of nothing but himself and fitting in, despite being told by other people than Sirius that there had been nothing he needed to prove.

There was one thing Remus knew he had to do. He could not die and leave Sirius wondering about all the what-ifs, could haves, and maybes. He deserved better.

Remus' hand jerked, and he clasped Sirius' fingers in his. "I'm sorry."

"Shut it, Remus," Sirius barked, wincing.

"I've been a horrible friend," Remus confessed. "I wanted to prove—"

"You had nothing you needed to prove, Remus," Sirius said adamantly. "Nothing."

"I've always loved that about you, Sirius," Remus said gently, his eyes starting to drift closed. "You are always so convinced I am someone worthy."

Sirius' hand clasped his harder. "You've always been worthy, do you hear me?"

"I love you," Remus confessed at last. "I always have."

At last, he placed his hand on Sirius' cheek. "Find someone to love, Pads. Find someone as loyal to you as you've been to me all these years. Be happy. Please."

"I've been happy," Sirius said, staring down at Remus' face, "with you."

Remus stared at Sirius Black's grey eyes. He marveled at how his unkempt black hair always seemed to land in perfect disarray no matter what he did. The full moon stared back at him, reflected in Sirius' eyes.

"I may have always questioned myself," Remus said after a while, his body growing heavier with each passing second, "but I have never questioned that you would be there for me."

Remus felt Sirius' arms wrap around him as he pressed their foreheads together. He smiled. "Be happy, Pads."

Suddenly, Sirius had transformed, and he wedged his hand under Remus' arm and whined.

Remus placed his hand on his head, scratching his ears. He pressed his face against Padfoot's head and smiled. His thoughts returned to so many nights under the full moon when he and Sirius would run together under the moonlit sky, chased by an over-sized stag that liked to get his antlers stuck in odd places. He remembered the first time he had seen the grizzled black dog that had once been Sirius and realised that he wouldn't be alone during the change.

Good old Padfoot—loyal to the end.

"Good dog," Remus praised as his hand fell to the ground.

He stilled, and his eyes lost their warmth.

The mournful howl of a dog was heard across the hills, calling to his old friend to return.


End file.
